This is the generator you want

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March 14, 2011

By metallurgist

from Sugar Grove, OH

"The NorthStar tri-fuel generator is a heavy-duty, well-designed and well-built generator. I wanted one i knew i could count on to run the whole house so opted for something over 10KW, and to me it was worth it to get the tri-fuel option for maximum flexibility. The unit is around 400lb with a full tank of gas so while it is portable, it is not a light-weight. I run it stand-alone, but also installed a transfer switch and it operated flawlessly in both cases. It has enough power to run the well pump and pretty much everything in the house (though i did not connect the electric dryer or hot water heater). Be aware, this unit is internally grounded (for stand-alone use), so is not specifically designed for connecting to the house wiring since the ground ties into house panel ground as well - need to isolate the generator ground from house ground to prevent a 'ground loop'. It would be nice to have a simple selector switch to switch from stand-alone to house connections. The only thing i had to do was tighten the bolts on the muffler, which vibrated loose after the first couple hours of running, no problems since."

Satisfaction

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November 23, 2010

By cwbtexas

"I have owned one of these generators for about 5 years after hurricane Rita. I use propane and use quick disconnects for the electricity and gas. I am 80 years old and it it easy to hookup. I live in a rural area that is served by a Co-op and we have poor service. I suffer with Apnea and after the long power loss with Katrina it was necessary to assure we have power at night."

Great generator

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June 3, 2010

By Mark59

from Chattanooga, TN

"I've lived in this house (in the city) for 20 years and never had a power failure of greater than an hour. Between concerns about our aging power infrastructure, our own aging, and potential loss of foods in 2 refrigerators and 2 freezers, we felt it was time to bite the bullet and get a generator. This unit that can use 3 types of fuels was attractive to me. Within 7 days of installation, we lost power in a wide local area for approximately 8 hours and it sure was nice to enjoy lights and heat during that time!!I was curious about some of the techical specs, and both the store salesman before the sale and the Northstar helpline after the sale were most helpful."

After five years, it has never let me down

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February 22, 2010

By Jasper

from Bogart, Georgia

"I bought this over five years ago. In a recent snow, we lost power for two days. With a twist of a key, whalaa . . , light, camera, action :>) This is a rock solid buy. It let's me sleep at night knowing that I have it and knowing that it is always there and working. Thanks Northern."

Clark in Alabama

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November 4, 2009

By colglazier

from Mobile, Al

"I bought this generator about a year ago and Absolutely love it. I have used it on Natural gas and gasoline. I have a 5000 square foot home with two central air conditioners and the generator does not hardly make a sound when they cut on. You do need the wheel kit for sure. I bought ramps for my truck and I can load it with just a little help."

Propane option makes this generator GREAT!

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July 20, 2009

By Powermwt

from Northern California

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"I bought this 13000 watt tri-fuel generator back in 2008 and have used it during power outages we get here in the country all year. I have a 500 gallon propane tank... so plenty of fuel. You need to make sure you have the correct size hose for the generator as size is a function of how long your hose is. I hook up the 30 and 50 amp circuits to separate panels for the house and deep well pump. I needed this size generator as my pump motor is large to accommodate the fire sprinklers in my home.I also bought a 1500# capacity wagon from Northern to set the generator on and it can be moved from where I store it in the shop to the propane tank area.Oh, to move this generator around a 2 ton engine hoist will lift it into the bed of a pickup.Fuel consumption is as advertized and as the other reviewers have noted it is loud, but not too loud to tolerate. Starting was easy using gas and changing over to propane was smooth."

Generator purchased

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March 24, 2009

By bobmazz64

from We live in New Hampshire

"Purchased this generator couple of years ago and have used it numerous times. I live on a dead end street and have had many power outages due to down trees and winter storms. I consider this type of generator extremely reliable due to the Honda engine. We have had no problems what so ever with this generator. I have recommended it to several friends. I'm exremely pleased with this generator."

Generac 10000EXL

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November 20, 2008

By UncleJohn

from Fairborn, OHIO

"I bought this Generac 10000 EXL model 09801-2 from Northern Tool in the fall of 1999. I've used it to run my home when the power was out, and made a cart to put it on with my welder so both are portable. Other people have asked me about using it to power my whole home. I've told them I've been sorry that I didn't get one bigger. It does what I need it to do, but I have to choose the 220 volt item that I want to use. The generater can only run one 220 volt item at a time. The only problem I've found is the muffler could be bigger to quiet the motor noise down more."

20hp trifuel generator

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November 18, 2008

By busmaster

from Rural North Dakota

"I bought this product in July of this year (2008) and used it to power a remote deep well in a pasture used to water livestock. The generator used about 3/4 gal/per/hr and run perfect. The Honda engine started easily, runs a bit noisy but not that bad, out in the boonies it don't matter, at the farm yard its not a problem either, runs quieter than a tractor powered pto generator. We will be useing the generator to power drag augers and blowers in the feed yard and grain bins, and will also be used for standby power for the yard, house, shop and well.The option to use LP or gasoline is one of the main reasons we purchased it, we won't have to worry about stale fuel when it sits for extended periods as a standby power source. The control panel is easy to use with ample outlets for 120v or 240v. The 10 gallon fuel tank allows for extended run times. The hour meter helps keep track of service intervals, service to the engine is simple and it is easy to get to the oil drain and filter. The price for the amount of power it produces is great, we did a lot of comparison with others and this was the choice, and a good one.Only one draw back and thats the weight, the way we use it, thats not a problem, its on our trailer and we cart it around wherever."

Paid for itself

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November 18, 2008

By RenaissanceMan

from Rural America

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911 Paint Job

"I bought this generator back in 2004 as a backup to our rural power system. We live in rural America and lose power more often than we should. We had lost power something like 12 times in the prior 2 years, one time for 3 days due to an ice storm. Electricity is our only utility, so it is essential for water, heat, and lighting. Preparing for the next winter, I wired in the generator and connected the auxillary Propane fuel tank. I tested the system and like others found the 20 hp engine to be loud. I fabricated an exhaust extension out of 1-1/2" pipe and then used a flexible exhaust pipe and automotive muffler toboth vent and quiet down the installation. The exhaust is very hot, so routing does take some thinking about proximity of combustible surfaces.

Sure enough winter brought another major ice storm. 7 days without commercial power. By pre-planning power requirements and building a switching schedule, we were able to keep the contents of the freezer, refrigerator, turn on a few lights, the TV, and run the 220V well pump intermittently. We had added a set of propane logs, and made it through the 7 day outage without a hitch.

So how did it pay for itself? Besides being able to run water and not letting the pipes freeze, not losing the contents of the freezer or refrigerator, and not having to get a motel room.

If those examples weren't enough, later that year we were doing a paint job on a classic car. As luck would have it, while we were just starting the clear coat on the car, somebody about a mile way clipped off a power pole with their car. If you are familiar with 2 stage paint, you know what a disasterous situation this put the paint job $$$$ in. It took about 2 minutes to change over to the generator, which ran the compressor and lights, we finished the paint job. That one job paid for the generator.

Total confidence in this generator and the backup service it provides."

Surprised

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September 29, 2008

By SUPER536

from Charenton, LA

"Back in 2005 after a near miss from Hurricane Katrina and not so for Hurricane Rita, I wanted something a little more than my 40 yr. old 4000 watt generator after being out of power for 3 days. I did some research and decided on the trifuel 13,000 watt. I had a double throw switch installed and from there installed the 50 amp. power inlet box. After a direct hit from hurricane Gustav, I wasted no time hooking it up. With only 1.5 hrs. of run time on it, I did not know what it could do. It actually started up my 5 ton central [by mistake] on gasoline. When hooked up to a 3/4" natural gas line, it ran 3 small 110 window unit ac's, all lights, ceiling fans, refrig and freezer, microwave, etc. If I thought I needed more power like washing clothes and drying, I would switch to gasoline. After 72 hours of virtually nonstop running, it used abt. 10 gals. of gasoline and abt. $65 worth of natural gas. The Honda was impressive. Since, I've installed a digital tachometer to tell how much load is being put on it. I feel well equiped to handle the next storm."

Loads of Power

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September 23, 2008

By MDFAvionics

from Humble, Texas

"I’ve owned this generator for over 2 years. Its first test was hurricane Ike. We were without power for 8 days straight. I tied into my natural gas meter for fuel (1” line). The generator performed excellent. Even with 80% BTU power from using natural gas, the unit powered the whole house including a 5 ton A/C unit, one refrigerator, and a freezer. It is loud, but with numerous generators running in close proximity, it did not stand out. I would recommend the tri-fuel feature highly. The 20hp engine and powerful generator were able to handle loads in excess of 35 amps. If complete house power is needed, this generator is the one for the job."

All day work

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August 22, 2008

By bearmolly

from Dallas, Tx

"I bought this Generator about seven months ago. I mainly use this product to run my office trailor. This product is heavy so i made a platform the same level as the tailgate in my truck for easy loading, and unloading. The generator is fairly loud but for a commercial job site that doesnt matter much. So i use this product 8 hours a day."

Ready For next Storm

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August 18, 2008

By MCPO

from Southern Mississippi.

"I bought this Generator. I have used it with Gas so far and it runs and works flawlessly. I had to ride out Katrina on the Coast and did not have a big enough portable Generator (Tri-Fuel) now I am ready for the next storm. The only reason I did not give the genearator 5 stars is that I have not ran it on Propane yet. That will be later this week. I had a propane tank and quick disconnects installed."

labsolute no complaints with this generator

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August 11, 2008

By larryrichmond2

from richmond, va

"bought mine 8 years ago, have had to use it three times for major outages lasting up to 9 days, gas consumption averaged about 18 - 19 gallons a day in hot weather and it supporting a 5 ton A/C in 98 degree weather (when A/C was on, everything else but few lights were off). It is noisy but it is a 20 HP engine - have rigged a 6 ft pc of flex SS exhaust line that attaches quickly and runs down into a car muffler i keep under the generator shed and boy that made a heckuva difference - - wish it had an oil cooler for a little longer life - the hot weather running at full power are a drain on it and the generator but for the money, i've looked at it from every angle and this was the most bang for the buck - when engine runs it's Honda estimated life of 2500 hours, a new engine is approx $1200 - still cheaper than going diesel.would definitely buy againoh, the natural gas is not really a workable alternative fuel - power output goes down 20% and you need a hellacious NG supply line. Propane is more workable and now that northern has 40 gal Propane tanks, i'll be getting a couple for long term fuel storage"

help in a storm

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April 23, 2008

By torp

from Florida

"I used this generator for 6 days following hurricane Katrina, and 14 days following hurricane Wilma. It performed flawlessly. It starts readily, and is easy to maintain. All controls and functions are right where you need them. The convenience of Tri-fuel is a lifesaver following a storm."